Insider Drops Word On Lack Of Contract Talks For Pending UFA Sam Reinhart

The Florida Panthers appear to be far down the road for an extension for one of their key players, but for another, the conversation has yet to begin. 

According to NHL Insider David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period, talks with sizzling Sam Reinhart, another pending UFA, are still a ways away, but that doesn't mean they won't happen. 

Contract negotiations have not yet started with forward Sam Reinhart, who is off to a hot start.

He will command a raise over his current $6.5 million cap hit and according to one team source, the Panthers have expressed a desire to explore an extension and those discussions will get underway later in the season with his camp.

Reinhart, in the prime of his career at age 28, is putting up numbers that put him on pace for personal bests across the board. He has 9 goals, 8 assists and 17 points through 13 games in about 21 minutes a night, along with a plus/minus of +9. 

The top-line forward is in his 3rd season with the Panthers, but his 3-year, $19.5M deal is set to expire at season's end. His $6.5M cap hit will certainly go up, as Pagnotta suggests. He's on pace for his third straight 30+ goal season (and perhaps a lot more), and has a prominent spot in the Cats lineup on a nightly basis, both 5x5 and on the power play. 

Those extension discussions are expected to be "explored" later in the season. 

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